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This research paper examines the impact of Chinese infrastructure provision, specifically through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), on rail standards in the Global South. By analyzing the Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) Network and projects in Southeast Asia, the author provides recommendations for African countries on managing costs, standardization, and trade facilitation to maximize the benefits of rail development while transitioning to low-carbon transport.

This policy brief analyzes the services market access negotiations under the WTO E-commerce Joint Statement Initiative (JSI). It highlights a significant trade imbalance, where developed nations are net exporters of the targeted digital services while developing nations are net importers. The brief identifies key challenges, including the 'technological neutrality' of GATS, the undecided legal architecture of the JSI, and a lack of gender and social inclusion considerations. It recommends that developing countries pursue a 'built-in development dimension' through progressive liberalization and multi-stakeholder national assessments.

This May 2021 briefing from the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) analyzes the impact of recent Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) updates and net-zero pledges on global warming projections. It finds that while recent commitments have lowered the estimated end-of-century warming to 2.4°C, this remains significantly above the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal, and current policies are still on track for 2.9°C of warming.

This policy brief discusses the management of fishing capacity within the framework of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations to prohibit subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Sitra explores how Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) can be used to facilitate the global transition to a circular economy (CE). It identifies specific policy levers—including tariff liberalization, services market access, technical standards, investment protections, subsidy reforms, and public procurement—that can be integrated into trade agreements to promote resource efficiency and discourage linear 'take-make-waste' economic models.

This policy brief provides a stocktaking of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) negotiations on e-commerce as of February 2021. It examines how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital adoption while widening the digital divide, and analyzes the current state of play in the JSI negotiations, including areas of convergence and persistent divergence among the 86 participating members.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and Vivid Economics analyzes the 'greenness' of COVID-19 recovery stimulus packages in five Asian countries—India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea—using the Greenness of Stimulus Index (GSI). The study finds that most of these nations are not sufficiently incorporating climate considerations into their fiscal responses, with 'dirty' stimulus often outweighing green measures.

This policy brief, based on a report by the Stockholm Environment Institute, examines transboundary climate risks to global food security through the trade of six key agricultural commodities. It argues that traditional risk management strategies like diversification are becoming ineffective due to the systemic nature of climate change, necessitating a shift toward multilateral cooperation and a global systemic view of adaptation to prevent geopolitical tension and protect import-dependent, low-income countries.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines four critical technical and political areas that UN negotiators must resolve by COP26 in November 2021. It reviews the outcomes of the 2020 Climate Dialogues and highlights significant gaps in the Paris Agreement rulebook, climate finance commitments, and mechanisms for loss and damage and adaptation.

This policy brief examines the restart of agriculture negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in September 2020 under Chair Gloria Abraham Peralta. It analyzes the challenges of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and shifting global trade dynamics, while outlining seven key negotiating areas and potential pathways for progress.

This report by Ember evaluates the availability, quality, and transparency of timely electricity data across various countries in Asia and Oceania. It establishes a scoring framework based on eight criteria—including time granularity, fuel breakdown, and ease of access—to rank national data sources and identify gaps that hinder the tracking of the energy transition.

This report examines the growth of green banking in China, noting that while the 'Big Four' banks are major global funders of fossil fuels, there is a significant shift toward green finance driven by top-down government policy. Key findings include that green loans have lower non-performing loan rates (0.42%) than overall credit (1.83%) and that the PBoC uses monetary tools like the SLF and MLF to incentivize green lending. A case study of ICBC shows a green loan portfolio of 199 billion USD and leadership in 'Belt and Road' green bonds, though green activities remain a small fraction of its total balance sheet.

A Green Bond Fact Sheet detailing a SGD120 million green loan issued by UOB on July 29, 2020, to finance the redevelopment of the Pan Pacific Orchard hotel in Singapore.

A fact sheet detailing a SGD2bn/USD1.4bn green loan issued by M+S on July 27, 2020, to refinance the office and retail components of the Marina One complex.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute provides a comparative analysis of net-zero targets adopted by 19 countries and the European Union as of July 2020, evaluating their design robustness, target years, sectoral coverage, and legal status.

This fact sheet details a SGD 300 million green bond issued by the National University of Singapore on June 3, 2020, marking the first such issuance by a university in Asia.

The 'CHINA GREEN BOND MARKET 2019 RESEARCH REPORT', published by the Climate Bonds Initiative and CCDC Research, analyzes the growth, policy landscape, and alignment of China's green bond market in 2019. It highlights a significant increase in issuance, a shift toward non-financial corporate issuers, and the emergence of municipal green bonds, while noting persistent discrepancies between domestic and international green definitions.

A Green Bond Fact Sheet detailing a EUR77.25 million loan issued by Oxley Holdings PLC on May 14, 2019, to fund the construction of LEED Platinum certified commercial office blocks in Dublin, Ireland.

A fact sheet detailing a SGD14 million (USD10 million) green loan issued by LYS Energy on April 1, 2020, to finance solar energy assets in Singapore and support regional expansion of clean energy adoption in commercial and industrial sectors.

This Green Bond Fact Sheet details a USD 325 million green bond issued by Vena Energy on February 26, 2020, with a five-year tenor maturing on February 26, 2025. The bond is intended to fund renewable energy projects, specifically solar, wind, and hydropower, and is the first green bond from a Singaporean non-financial corporate to be denominated in USD and to acquire a green bond rating.